Jay's Journeys

2009

2009 in Review!

Click picture for slideshow

2009-12-27 Mount Townsend Slideshow

8 miles - 3000' Elevation Gain

After a call from my friend Robbin, we decided to head up to see if we could access the Mount Townsend trailhead which is usually buried in deep snow this time of year. Our luck was with us and we drove right to the trailhead. The road was snowy but not so bad that I couldn't drive it in my front wheel drive sedan. The trail itself was very icy and if not for our micro-spikes, I'm sure we would have had a less pleasant day. About half way up we ran out of trail but luckily someone had kicked us some steps in the snow a day or two before we arrived making the ascent rather easy. It was a mostly clear day and we could see for miles. We could see Rainier and even Adams in the distance. There was a good size lenticular cloud hanging above Rainier. This turned out to be a great hike in a time of year that this trail is usually not accessible.

2009-12-05 Silver Star Mountain Slideshow

8 miles - 2000' Elevation Gain

On visiting some friends in Portland OR, I took the opportunity to get a local hike in. I chose Silver Star Mountain just outside of Vancouver WA. Hike was about 8 miles with about 2000' of elevation Gain. Silver Star Mountain was consumed by fire in the Yacolt Burn in 1902 and the trees on top of the ridge never recovered resulting in a fantastic 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside. The Yacolt Burn was the worst wildfire in Washington State history. Silver Star Mountain is 4390 feet tall.

Upon summiting Silver Star, I met a group of folks from Portland that asked if I would like to join them to summit Sturgeon Rock. It only took me about five seconds to make up my mind and soon we were on our way. Pictured in this set are David, Julie, Ken and myself.

2009-11-29 Gold Mountain Slideshow

9 Miles - 1100' Elevation Gain

I joined Barney from the PWC on a hike that was supposed to go up Green Mountain but we ended up going up Gold Mountain instead. I failed to take a lot of pictures on this trip but I did get some of us near the waterfall. Top of Gold Mountain is hard to locate as there are multiple little false summits and lots of television station antennas on the top. We went up a long way utilizing the gm 6 road then a spur that turns into a creek which goes by an old mine shaft. this is mostly a dirt road walk.

Barney from the PWC at the waterfall on Gold Mountain

2009-11-15 Tunnel Falls at Eagle Creek with the PWC Slideshow

13 Miles - 1200' Elevation Gain

On Sunday the 15th of November, seven PWCers headed up the Eagle Creek Trail at the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side. Hike was around 13 miles and about 1200' elevation gain. It rained lightly off and on throughout the day but was otherwise pleasant. In addition to the main Hike on the 15th, four of us hiked on the 14th as well, hiking at Latourell Falls, Multnomah Falls and Wahkeena Falls. Below are some of the pictures from this waterfall weekend.

2009-11-14 Latourell Falls and Multnomah - Wahkeena Falls Loops with the PWC Slideshow

7 miles - 2100' Elevation Gain

2009-10-12 Upper Royal Basin Slideshow

16 Miles - 4500' Elevation Gain

Hike was cold and felt longer than the 15 or 16 RT miles that it was. Probably because it was too cold to stop for much of a break. Got snowed on about halfway in and people on the trail were heading out as the snow started. I won't embarrass myself by naming which peaks are which. I think Fricaba, Deception, Mystery and Clark are pictured. Blue tarn is located in the upper basin.

Here is the map.

2009-10-04 Flapjack Lakes and Gladys Divide Slideshow

18.6 Miles - 3900' Elevation Gain

Another long day hike. My friend Cheryl from the Kitsap Climbers Group joined me on this hike to Flapjack Lakes and Gladys Divide. The trail starts from the Staircase Ranger Station and follows the North Fork Skokomish river trail for 3.7 miles to the junction with the Flapjack Lakes Trail. The Flapjack Lakes Trail climbs about 2500' to Flapjack Lakes at 4 miles. We enjoyed lunch at the lake and then continued on the trail for another 1.5 miles and thousand feet or so to Gladys Divide where we took a few pictures and turned around and headed back. Stats for the day 18.6 miles and 4000 feet or so of elevation gain. My GPS lost its signal a few times in the deep woods so mileage is based off of Robert Woods Olympic Mountains Trail Guide.

Trail info here.

2009-09-26 High Divide - Seven Lakes Basin Loop Journal

18.5 Miles - 4000' Elevation Gain

The longest day hike I have ever done. Dedicated to the memory of my brother, Jeff Steveson.

Aug 25th 1959 – Sept 19th 2009

Click here for slideshow

Click here for route.

2009-09-13 Burroughs Mountain at Mount Rainier Slideshow

10 miles - 2500' Elevation Gain

Took a hike up to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Burroughs on the Burroughs Mountain Trail at Sunrise on Mount Rainier with the Peninsula Wilderness Club. Beautiful day!

2009-08-23 Cispus Pass in the Goat Rocks Wilderness Slideshow

14 Miles - 2000' Elevation Gain

I loved the thru-hike that my friends and I had done the week before but I felt like I missed out on a big part of the scenery because of the cloudy conditions on the first day. I got off of the ferry from my daily commute to Seattle on Friday and ran into Mike at the ferry dock as he and his family were returning from a trip to Seattle. We got to talking and I said I was probably cancelling my High Divide trip for this weekend because the weather report showed mostly cloudy for that area but that the Goat Rocks looked like they may be sunny. Before long, we started talk of returning to the Goat Rocks to re-do the section that we did on the first day, at least partially so we could see what we missed. Well, we went and we were not disappointed in the long drive down there. 6 hours of driving for about 6 hours of hiking. Totally worth it!

2009 Aug 14th-16th Goat Rocks Wilderness Thru-Hike Journal

40 Miles - 10500' elevation gain

The Dream:
I have wanted to thru-hike the Goat Rocks for a long time now and I finally got a chance to this year. Accompanying me on this trip were my friends Mike and Robbin from the Kitsap Climbers Group. We drove 2 cars so we could leave one at either end of the trail so we would not have to back track. The route we took is about 30 miles long, 25 of which are on the Pacific Crest Trail or PCT. The Pacific Crest Trail is roughly 2600 miles long, goes through 3 states and stretches between Mexico and Canada. The Goat Rocks Wilderness section of the PCT attains the highest elevation in Washington State and is also considered to be among the most beautiful sections in any of the 3 states. Only the Sierras in California rival its beauty (in my opinion). Click the picture for the rest of the journal.

Click picture for the rest of the Journal

Click here for Slideshow

View the map here

2009-08-09 Mount Angeles Slideshow

6 miles - 2800' elevation gain

Heading out with the Peninsula Wilderness Club to hike the Heather Meadows - Lake Angeles Loop, another member and myself decided to break off from the group and start at Hurricane Ridge parking lot and hike down to Heart of the Hills ranger station meeting the group on the way down near the halfway point. The other member, Paul had never been to Mount Angeles before and since it was kind of cloudy down below, we were hoping that we would be above the clouds as we hiked along the ridge towards Mount Angeles. We got to the top of the mountain but we never got above the clouds. We attempted to route find a little so we could do a traverse over to the Klahane Ridge trail to meet our companions but it was too cloudy to find the way and we lost a lot of time. We decided it best to get off the mountain the way we came, and by the time we made it back to the main trail, the other folks doing the loop were way ahead of the rendezvous point. We decided to just go back to the car and drive down to the Heart of the Hills and meet up with everyone down there. On our walk back to the car, the sun finally made an appearance. When we talked to the guys that did the loop later they told us they got rained on and were mostly socked in with the clouds and had no views. I guess Paul and I made the right choice in going up to Mt Angeles.

Animals seen.
Grouse: around 5 and about 15 chicks.
Marmots: 7 or 8
Deer: 2 bucks and a doe
Chipmunks: 3 or 4

2009-07-30 Pinecrest Peak Slideshow

13 miles - 3000' elevation gain

During my family's Pinecrest California vacation this year, not wanting to hang out at the lake again I decided to hike to the top of Pinecrest Peak. The trail to the top is actually a continuance of the Catfish Lake Trail that starts on the shore of Pinecrest Lake. This trail has for some reason been removed from many maps of the area. I'm not sure why because the trail is in great shape. During our stay at Pinecrest this year, a fire, the Knight Fire was burning about 20 miles away from the lake. At some points in the day the smoke would come rolling in as it did on this hike. I was slightly bummed when the smoke rolled in right before I reached the top of the peak, obscuring the view. I had seen the top of the peak several times from the lake and this time I wanted to see the lake from the top of the peak. As a friend of mine always says "the mountain will still be there next time". At least I have a hike to look forward to next time I visit the area.

Here is the map

2009-07-28 Kennedy Lake and Meadows via Leavitt Lake Journal

15 miles - 2000' Elevation Gain , 4500' Elevation loss

What is it that gives us the sense of High Adventure? For me I think it is the thrill of the unknown. What's around the next corner? How am I going to get home? How far is it? Where will I sleep tonight? Maybe that's why I enjoy hiking so much. This hike was one of the best I've been on in a long time and it was almost completely unplanned. That being said, I do have enough sense to have a map along with the other ten essentials as well as a little knowledge of the area I'm going into. I don't care to turn into another Chris McCandless, AKA Alexander Supertramp.

Check out the journal for the whole story of this exciting hike in the Emigrant Wilderness just north of Yosemite

The quarter mile switchbacks as seen from Leavitt Pass, Big Sam Mountain in the background.

Click here for slideshow

Get the map here.

2009-07-27 Cleo's Bath Slideshow

About 7 miles - 200 feet elevation gain

A short but rewarding hike from Pinecrest Lake in the Stanislaus National Forest.

Map is here.

2009-07-19 "Koski Loop" Hawk Welch and Townsend Peaks Slideshow

Between 15 and 17 miles (depending on who you ask :) and a little over a mile of elevation gain

This was a very fun trip and I hope to do it again next year. As a member of the Peninsula Wilderness club for almost a year now, I still had not gone on any outings with them. This all changed on this Sunday as 3 other members and myself did the "Koski" Loop. This loop is un-officially named after one of the members that first suggested this hike to the group, Kevin Koski.

Things to see along the way.
Abandoned Manganes mines of Tull Canyon.
B-17 Bomber wreckage at Tull Canyon.
Makeshift Campsites utilizing old plane wreckage that only Les Stroud himself would be proud of.
Remains of a log cabin and Mine artifacts at Tull Canyon.
Hawk Peak
Silver Lakes
Welch Peaks
Mount Townsend

The view from Hawk Peak

2009-07-11 Mount Baldy Loop Slideshow

7 Miles - 4250' Elevation Gain

Got a late start and hit what I thought was the Maynard Burn Trail but turns out I was on the newer Tyler Peak Trail. I got to the ridge and some Marines that were camped on the ridge (who also boasted several times about their 80 pound packs full of beer) told me I was actually on the Tyler Peak Trail. No matter, both trails lead to the same ridge and soon I was on my way to Baldy. My original goal was to hike to the top of Grey Wolf but due to my late start this would have to wait for another day. Excellent views this trip of the interior Olympics including Grey Wolf, Tyler, Buckhorn, The Needles, Royal Creek drainage, Mount Olympus, Sequim, San Jauns and Canada. Tyler Peak trail and the Maynard Burn Trail are both very steep. If you want a water source on the way up or down I would suggest the Tyler Peak Trail. I think The Maynard Burn Trail is better maintained as I saw no blow downs when Tyler had several. All in all a good trip but very tiring with what my GPS says is 4250 feet of Elevation gain in 7 miles RT. Whichever route you take, it is a good idea to either be very proficient at route finding or take a GPS. When you come out of the trees near the top, the trails just peter out and if you are not paying attention to where they are they can be hard to find on the way out, especially if the weather turns bad.

Click here for route.

Grey Wolf Ridge

2009-06-26 Grand Ridge Trail Slideshow

15 miles - Elevation Gain? Lots of ups and downs, maybe 2 or 3 thousand feet.

I tried to hike the Grand Ridge last year but the weather wasn't cooperating. Took the day off today to hike because the weather was supposed to be nice. The Grand ridge trail connects Deer Park with Obstruction Point in Olympic National Park. Robert L. Wood, author of the Olympic Mountains Trail Guide calls this trail the highest in the Olympics, probably due to its length as well as its height. One thing is for sure, the Grand Ridge Trail is a beautiful hike. My total miles today, about 15. Not sure of the elevation gain, lot of ups and downs, a couple thousand feet at least.

2009-06-13 Mount Saint Helens Climb Attempt Slideshow

8 Miles - 2500' Elevation Gain

My friend Steve from my work and myself purchased permits to climb Saint Helens earlier in the year. Steve has climbed Saint Helens already a couple of times from Climbers Bivouac. The road to Climbers Bivouac when we were there had not opened yet (but it opened a couple of days after our attempt) so we had to start our climb from the sno-park. Starting from the sno-park adds 4 or 5 miles and about a thousand feet of elevation gain and most people do that route as an overnight. The morning of our climb it started pouring down rain at our campground in Cougar and visibility was very low. Still, we set our sites for the mountain and headed out about 7:30. We hiked about 4 miles in and about 2500' feet up the mountain when with the low visibility we both decided to call it a day. I admit I wasn't feeling 100 percent either after having just gone through 10 days worth of antibiotics for a sinus infection. When we got back to the car we had a quick bite to eat and headed over to Lava Canyon since we were so close. The trail has been partially closed since a bunch of people have died there the last few years being swept over the falls. All and all not a horrible weekend but sure wanted to climb that mountain. We both agreed to try it again another time, maybe this year, who knows?

2009-05-31 Hummocks Trail, Mount Saint Helens Slideshow

2.5 miles - 150' Elevation Gain

The day after my hikes in the Gorge, I drove over to Mt Saint Helens to stretch my legs and check out the snow levels there. I drove up to the new visitors center at Johnson Ridge (new to me, it wasn't finished yet the last time I visited the volcano) and checked it out. You need a monument pass to go in the visitors center or to walk on the trail there. You can get a pass for $8.00 or free if you have a NW Forest Pass or National Parks Pass. After checking out the new visitors center I drove down to the Hummocks Loop Trail and hiked around it. I had always wanted to hike around the Hummocks and check them out. They are basically big chunks of mountain that came down in the big lahar (landslide) that occurred in the May 18th 1980 eruption. Big chunks of glacier also came to rest here creating little ponds amidst the big piles of debris. It was very interesting to see how much growth has occurred in the last 29 years. The trail was in shade for much of the hike and there was even a beaver dam on one of the ponds. After hiking the 2.4 mile Hummocks Trail, I headed over to Coldwater Lake and walked the Birth of a Lake Trail. I can't say it was too exciting but it was kind of pretty in its own Mount Saint Helens kind of way.

2009-05-30 Mitchell Point Slideshow

2.6 Miles - 1200' Elevation Gain

After gaining 3800' on my Mt Defiance hike and losing the trail there in the snow, I headed over to Mitchell Point and hiked to the top gaining another 1000 to 1200 feet in elevation giving me close to 5000' for the day. Another good hike for some great views of the Gorge. At the top of the point it gets kind of hairy with cliffs on either side. I would definitely NOT bring my son here or pets for that matter if I had them. I took some pictures of a Bald Eagle soaring overhead and was very nervous of losing my balance as I looked up to take pictures of it. The Poison Oak was very thick here and it was very hard to hike the trail without it touching my pant legs. I warned a young couple that was heading up about the Poison Oak but I don't think they took me seriously as they headed up in their shorts. I've never been afflicted with Poison Oak so I'm not sure how much contact it takes but my friend got it from his dog's fur after his dog rolled around in some of it. I'll take no chances.

2009-05-30 Wyeth Ridge Trail Slideshow

About 10 miles RT - 3800'elevation gain

On this weekend, I was going to hike up the Mount Defiance Trail in the Gorge to the top of Mount Defiance but lacked directions to the trailhead. I knew I was close to the trailhead when I pulled off at exit 51 and found the Wyeth Ridge trail which goes to North Lake and connects to the Mt Defiance Trail. Unfortunately, after gaining 3800' in altitude, I lost the trail in the snow and had to turn around. I was almost to North Lake when I had to retreat and I left with not much to show for my effort. I did get some good pictures of a white crab spider on a white flower. I only intended to take a picture of the flower but the camouflaged crab spider was a bonus. Found some wild strawberries that were ripe. All in all, a good training hike but mostly viewless and forested and losing the trail was a letdown.

Wild Strawberries on Wyeth Ridge Trail

2009-05-16/17 Columbia River Gorge Adventures Journal

5 hikes in the Gorge Area

Around 20 miles - 5000' Elevation Gain

Click here for slideshow

2009-05-03 Delivering the Mail on Mailbox Peak Slideshow

5 miles - 4000' Elevation Gain

On an invite by the Kitsap Climbers, me and 4 other brave souls headed out to climb Mailbox Peak in the Snoqualmie I-90 corridor near Seattle. The trail to the top is very steep and gains 4000' elevation in 2.5 miles. Upon reaching the top, on a clear day you are rewarded with views of Seattle, Tacoma, the Puget Sound, Mt Rainier and more cascade mountains than you can shake a stick at. A great day overall and we all enjoyed pizza and beer at the Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom after the hike. The Kitsap Climbers involved in this outing were, Ron, Cheryl, Robbin, Paul and myself.

2009-05-03 Mount Townsend Slideshow

7 miles -2200' Elevation Gain

I went up the Mount Townsend Trail after driving around the Hood Canal due to the 6 week Hood Canal Bridge closure. Took the Sink Lake Trail to get to the Mt Townsend Trail because of deep snow on the road to the main trail access. I made it to about 5000 feet in elevation before running into sketchy snow on steep mountainside. If I had brought an ice axe and microspikes I would have gone further but I was only in trail runners so this was as far as I was comfortable going. There was another hiker in front of me who other hikers coming down told me had crampons so I'm assuming he/she made it to the top. There were only 2 other cars at the trailhead when I arrived and the couple I saw coming down were the only people I saw.

Shelter at Sink Lake

2009-04-11 Ancient and Dusty Lakes Loop Slideshow

10 Miles RT - about 1000' Elevation Gain (ups and downs)

After reading recent trip reports of the area, I decided to head over to the sunshine of Eastern Washington and the Gorge area to do a loop hike around the Ancient Lakes and Dusty Lake area. Trip was about 10 miles but felt a little longer do to scrambling around on the rocks by the lakes and doing a little cross country hiking when I lost the trail over by Dusty Lake. I didn't see any Rattlers this hike but I did see a marmot on the ridge between Ancient and Dusty. Lots of people and horses on the trail today, so not much solitude but still a fun area to explore. I highly recommend this trip if you are from Western Washington trying to escape the wet spring weather.

Click here for route.

Click here for a map to the trailhead (click the + or - to zoom in and out)

2009-04-05 Umtanum Obtained Slideshow

12 miles RT - 2200' Elevation Gain

On this first real warm spring day this year, I drove to Eastern Washington to the Yakima Canyon and parked at the Umtanum Creek Recreation Area parking lot. I intended to hike to the top of Umtanum Ridge and also hike the canyon as far as I could but I cut the canyon hike about a half mile short. You are only allowed to hike 3 1/4 miles into the canyon between February and July due to it being a wildlife preserve. After looking at the GPS data, I hiked a little over 12 miles with about 2200 feet of elevation gain, that's counting round trips for the ridge and the canyon. Unfortunately the flowers were just beginning to sprout and have not bloomed as of 4-5-09 and the pictures my camera took look kind of blah, but the hike was great and I highly recommend it, as long as its not too hot out. I'm betting that it gets pretty hot there in the summer. Deer seen - 4, big horn sheep - 4, rattlers - 0, birds - lots, ticks - 0, people - 3 on the ridge, a horde in the canyon.

Click here for route.

Click here for a map to the trailhead (click the + or - to zoom in and out)

2009-03-15 St. Patty's Day Dash Slideshow

3.75 miles

My very first organized run. 2009's St. Patty's Day Dash was filled with rain and snow and my shoes were very soggy by the end. I'm very thankful that my wife got us a hotel room to go back to so we could all change into dry clothes when it was all done. The promoters of the run said that this was the worst weather in the run's 25 year history. I really enjoyed this run but am looking forward to getting back into my hikes soon.

2009-02-21 Green Mountain Sunset Hike Slideshow

6 Miles RT - 1000' Elevation Gain

On a tight schedule being my wife's birthday and all, I decided to go up Green Mountain again this weekend. I had never been up there for a sunset and I thought I could test out my LED Lenser headlamp on the hike back. Good thing I had it too because it was pitch black in the forest on the way back to my car. I would say overall it is a very good headlamp but not having used any other headlamps in the past I can't really say if it is better or worse than any of the others on the market. Something funny happened on the hike up. Green Mountain is on DNR land and gets used by hikers, mountain bikers, atv riders, and horsemen. While I have mixed feelings about all of these groups, I still think its great that they all have a place to go. The horsemen are a funny lot to me and a lot of people have mixed feelings about them as well. Some dislike the wear and tear horses put on the trails not to mention all the horse crap they leave. I kind of like to hike on horse trails though because horses, unlike people can't climb over a downed tree on the trail so you will usually never see downed trees, limbs etc on horse trails. Anyhow about the funny story. I stepped off the trail a few times to let some horse folks go by. In the first group the lead rider said I spooked her horse a little bit as I came up on them. I thought that was all well and good and wondered to myself what would happen if she came upon a bear or something while out in the woods. In the next group a young lady looked at my trekking poles and asked with all sincerity if I was practicing for cross country skiing! It never ceases to amaze me the variety of people that use Green Mountain and the huge disconnect that each group has with the next. Click here for route. Route is in red.

Seattle skyline with Bremerton in foreground as seen from summit of Green Mountain.

2009-02-07 Green Mountain with Mike and Kiwi Slideshow

10 miles RT - 1000' Elevation Gain

Mike, Kiwi and myself headed up to Green Mountain on this cold February morning. I think Mike was expecting a short trip up the Gold Creek trailhead and back but I showed him an alternate route that goes up GM-6 logging road and connects to the Wildcat trailhead making for a longer loop hike. Click here for route. Route is in red.

2009-01-25 Turning Green into Gold - Gold Mountain Slideshow

10 miles RT - 1000' Elevation Gain

On my mission to walk all the trails around Green Mountain, I found myself hiking up Gold Mountain after having located the Tin Mine again. (for those who do not know, Green and Gold Mountains are on DNR land and are the 2 highest points on the Kitsap Peninsula where I live) 15 or so years have passed since the last time I had been to the mine and it was just as I had remembered. Another mission I was on was to locate School Rock. I believe I found the "trail" if you want to call it that, but it was becoming too much of a bushwhack and I decided to save it for another day. The trail to the Tin Mine starts off of GM-6 logging road that goes between Green and Gold Mountains. The trail starts right after you pass the big pond on the right. A little stream flows out of the Tin Mine and actually flows on the trail for quite a ways but it is not too hard to keep the feet dry if you exercise a little caution. After finding the Tin Mine, I continued hiking up what I call the Tin Mine trail. The trail follows an old road grade and actually comes out on a logging road up on Gold Mountain at around 1000' according to my altimeter. At this junction you can continue on the trail which heads down to the Gold Creek Trail head from here, or you can walk out to the logging road and walk up Gold Mountain. There is a sign here that says no motorized vehicles beyond this point but it does not look like it stops anyone as I saw numerous motorcycle tracks. The last time I tried to walk up Gold Mountain, there were multiple signs that said Bremerton Watershed no trespassing. I did not see any of these signs until I was almost all the way to the top this time and they were all warning to stay out of the woods, not to stay off the mountain or off the logging road as I had remembered. I hiked up to the KCPQ TV gate turnoff and took the main logging road past the gate so I could get a good view of Green Mountain. At this point I turned around and walked the couple miles back down to the Tin Mine trail junction and took the steep downhill motorcycle trail that goes down to the Gold Creek Trail head and my car. I'll save the actual summit of Gold Mountain for another day. Click here for route. Route is in red.

The Tin Mine on Gold Mountain

2009-01-24 Mima Mounds Slideshow

Hayden and I drove down south of Olympia near the town of Littlerock to check out these weird mounds that I read about online. The weather started to turn right as we arrived so we did not walk any of the trail but we did walk to the observation platform. While the geology is very interesting, the location kind of sucked since there is a rifle range right next to it and a big parking lot can be seen across the way. The mound's origins are a mystery and were first believed to be Indian burial grounds. A couple of theory's now are that the mounds are the work of pocket gophers over thousands of years or possibly earthquake vibrations made them. Nobody knows really where they come from but they are an interesting thing to ponder. Mima mounds are found most frequently in Washington State but can also be found in other parts of North America as well as South America and Africa.

2009-01-19 Mount Rainier Sledding with Hayden Slideshow

Adventure number 3 on my trifecta of fun weekend. Yesterday the coast, today the Mountain. On the spur of the moment we decided to head up to Mount Rainier to do some sledding. Well OK , we really came up to see the new hotel but found out it was closed for the season when we arrived at the park. When we saw the sledders we couldn't resist so we went to the gift shop and bought Hayden a sled and some shades. I remembered to pack his snow suit but neglected to bring his gloves so a spare pair of socks was utilized. This worked well until they got wet and he got a little cold. It was 50 degrees at Paradise when we arrived. Crazy January weather, I love it!

2009-01-18 Ozette Loop Slideshow

9.3 Miles RT - 100' Elevation Gain?

I drove the three hours from Silverdale to Ozette Lake on a whim and a rumor that it was warm out on the coast. When I arrived at Ozette, my car thermometer read 59 degrees. It was only 35 when I left home. It is a good thing it was warm too because a few sections of the boardwalk trail were icy and very slick. I couldn't imagine trying to hike this when then whole length of boardwalk (6 miles) is icy. Three miles of the loop are on the Washington coast and this was one of the few times I have ever been on the coast when it was sunny out. It was very beautiful and warm and I did not want to come home when the hike was over, I wanted to be on the beach still watching the sunset! I did get a surprise when I was hiking the beach section (besides the warm temps, bald eagles soaring overhead and fantastic views). I ran in to my hiking friends Cheryl, Ron and Mike. Click here to see route.

Can you spot the bald eagle?

2009-01-17 Guillemot Cove, the Stump House Trail and Pirate Treasure Slideshow

3 miles RT? - 350' Elevation Gain? (on the way back)

Hayden and I took a hike at Guillemot cove. It was not as cold this year as it was last year about the same time when we hiked it. The people who maintain this trail have a lot of work to do as the lower section down past the bridge is part of Boyce Creek now. It looks like maybe a beaver moved in and diverted the creek. Another section between the Main Access trail and the Sawmill Trail seriously needs to be brushed out. All of this was OK for us though as it added to our adventure and there was a different part of the trail that we had not been on called the Stump House Trail. Rumor has it that a Pirate once lived in the Stumphouse. View slideshow to see treasure pictures. Click here for Treasure Map.

2009-01-11 Green Mountain Via Wildcat Trail Slideshow

10 miles RT - 1000' Elevation Gain

I intend to make a Green Mountain Trail and Road Guide soon since the only good info a person can find is from a book that is becoming outdated and its hard to find much information about Green Mountain on the internet. I want to cover the main routes Wildcat, Gold Creek, Beaver Pond as well as nice forest road walks and the abandoned mine location, climbers wall location, etc. I figure since I am up there so often, the least I can do is give back and provide a repository of sorts for this little gem we have right here in Kitsap County. Until then, enjoy the slideshow pics of the Wildcat Trail. Click here for route. Route is in red.